1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly to an earphone device for a portable terminal, which can improve the portability of the terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
As generally known in the art, the development of information communication technology has caused the appearance of portable terminals with various functions and shapes, including bar-type terminals, flip-type terminals having a flip cover, and folder-type terminals having a folder adapted to fold on and unfold away from the body within an angular range.
In addition to the basic function of voice communication with desired partners, portable terminals incorporate various additional functions, including transmission/receipt of emails or data, Internet games, text transmission, etc. Furthermore, newly introduced communication technology, such as High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), has expanded the range of services, including video communication between terminal users and moving image services.
A portable terminal basically includes a strap and an earphone. The strap is connected to the terminal and provides the user of the terminal with the convenience of carrying the terminal. Straps are generally classified into hand straps, which are configured as handles grasped by users with hands, and neck straps, which are configured as necklaces worn around the neck. The earphone enables the user of the terminal to conduct voice communication or enjoy sounds and voices from various multimedia contents, such as music files, moving image files, etc.
The strap is connected to the terminal via a recess formed on the terminal, and the earphone is selectively connected to the terminal via a jack formed on the terminal.
However, conventional earphones have a problem in that, when an earphone is simply carried, the cable of the earphone can become tangled, making the earphone inconvenient to use. Furthermore, neatening up the cable is tedious and bothersome regardless of whether or not the earphone is connected to the terminal. In addition, the portability of the terminal is adversely affected because the earphone and strap are separately connected to the terminal.